Star Trek parodies and pop culture references (music)
From Memory Alpha, the free Star Trek reference.
| This article is written from the Real World point of view |
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The following are examples of music that parodies or references Star Trek.
| Star Trek parodies and references |
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[edit] The Aquabats
The Aquabats song "Meltdown!" from their 2005 album Charge!!, features the lyric, "I will go to work, just like Captain Kirk."
[edit] Banditos
The 1996 song "Banditos" by The Refreshments references TNG's Captain Jean-Luc Picard in a repeated verse:
- Give your ID card to the border guard
- Now your alias says you're Captain Jean-Luc Picard
- Of the United Federation of Planets
- Cause he won't speak English anyway.
[edit] Beastie Boys
Rap act The Beastie Boys' song Intergalactic features the lyric "...Like a pinch on the neck of Mr. Spock".
The song Ch-Check It Out also contains several references to Star Trek. Not only does the song contain the lyrics "All you trekkies and tv addicts..." and "All you klingons in your Grandma's house...", but the video also contains a homage to The Original Series, with the three members of the group dressed as Kirk, Spock and McCoy
[edit] The Chanukah Song
"The Chanukah Song" is a popular holiday song written and performed by actor and comedian Adam Sandler. The song is comprised of a list of celebrities who, like Sandler, are Jewish, with the intent of comforting those who felt isolated during Chanukah by proving that there were others in the world who were also Jewish. Among those celebrities referenced in the first song (two more would follow) are Star Trek: The Original Series stars William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy,
- "You don't need 'Deck the Halls' or 'Jingle Bell Rock'
- "When you can spin a dreidel with Captain Kirk and Mister Spock –
- Both Jewish!"
[edit] Futuristic Sex Robotz
This band did a song called "The Positronic Pimp", extolling the successes of Data, which quotes "Ode to Spot" in response to the lyrics "What does the android have to say about his favorite pussy?"
[edit] JBO
The German Comedy-Metal band "JBO" recorded two songs as a tribute to Star Trek on their Record "Laut!" in 1997: "Sound Trek" and "Star Treck".
Translated, the chorus of the latter one means:
- Hurra! Hurra! I fly with Picard
I am so Lucky to fly with Jean Luc (which rhymes perfectly in the original song)
"Sound Trek" was a parody based on the German version of the series' intro:
- Der Weltall... unendliche Breiten. Dies sind die Abenteuer der Rockband JBO, die sich auf den Weg macht, um fremde Mädchen zu entdecken, unbekannte Lebensformen ... und was ihnen sonst noch so über den Weg läuft. JBO trinkt dabei ein ... oder zwei... Bier, nicht?
[edit] Nerf Herder
The 4th track on the album American Cheese by pop punk group Nerf Herder is entitled "Mr Spock", and the lyrics contain references to both Star Trek: The Motion Picture and the TOS episode "Arena".
[edit] Ookla the Mok
In 2005, the band Ookla the Mok recorded a song using the lyrics from Data's poem for their album, Dave Lennon.
[edit] Picard Song
The Picard Song is dance techno theme originally created by DarkMateria [1], which heavily utilizes Patrick Stewart's lines from Star Trek: The Next Generation, with the most heavily repeated line being "Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the USS Enterprise". The rest of the song consist of other Picard quotes: his speech about truth to Wesley Crusher in "The First Duty", his reference to a rambling professor in "Timescape", his recitation of a Shakespearean sonnet in "Ménage à Troi", the words "Darmok and Jilad at Tanagra" and "There are four lights!", and his conversation with Hugh in "I, Borg".
[edit] Red Hot Chilli Peppers
The Red Hot Chilli Peppers song "Californication" mentions that "Space may be the final frontier, but it's made in a Hollywood basement."
[edit] The Sisters of Mercy
On their website, rock band Sisters of Mercy write: "Our smoke and lights work together to create moving clouds and shafts of colour. Imagine them as a life-form from the first series of Star Trek. Then imagine having a symbiotic relationship with that life-form. If you don't know what symbiosis is, just imagine having sex. If you don't know what a relationship is, just imagine having sex. If you don't know what sex is, you probably watch too much Star Trek. Oops."[2]
[edit] Star Trek Rhapsody
"Star Trek Rhapsody" is a parody of Queen's song "Bohemian Rhapsody". This song is often incorrectly associated with "Weird Al" Yankovic, but it is actually from a group known as Hillman Morning Show and was written and voiced by the show's co-host Kevin Barbare. Several music videos for the song, including one by the original performer, are widely available on the internet.
[edit] Star Trek: The Lost Episode
Star Trek: The Lost Episode is a radio bit comprised of soundbites from various episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series, edited together to create a "lost episode" in which Captain Kirk and Spock become... intimate. Soundbites of Scotty are also included. The bit is played by certain radio morning shows nationwide.
The bit begins like this:
- Kirk: Captain's Log. Specimen-gathering mission on planet Alfa 177. Mr. Spock is much stronger than the ordinary human being. Aroused, his great physical strength could kill. But it's a risk I'll have to take.
- (Kirk enters Spock's quarters)
- Kirk: Is something troubling you, Mr. Spock?
- Spock: May I say that I have not thoroughly enjoyed serving with humans? I find their illogic and foolish emotions a constant irritant.
- Kirk: Unlike you, we humans are filled with unpredictable emotions.
- Spock: Love. Tenderness.
- Kirk: Yes. Yes.
- Spock: If I seem insensitive to what you're going through, Captain, understand it's the way I am.
- Kirk: Don't be afraid. Here's my hand.
- Spock: You are beautiful. More beautiful than any dream of beauty I've ever known.
- Kirk: What is your point, Mr. Spock?
- Spock: I love you... I can love you.
- Kirk: Kiss me!
- (The love music from the original series plays and a zipper sound effect is heard)
- Kirk: Are you out of your mind?
- Spock: The prospect seemed quite attractive to you a moment ago.
- Kirk: You don't really want to hurt me, do you? Put that thing away.
- Spock: No, I don't think so...
As Kirk and Spock continue (complete with screams provided by the "evil" Kirk duplicate from "The Enemy Within"), Scotty interrupts and becomes involved in the proceedings. The bit ends with Kirk depicting in his log that he's seen a part of himself that no man should ever see, after which he tells Spock "Thank you ... from both of us." Both are lines from the end of "The Enemy Within".
One of the radio morning shows that occasionally play this bit is Tommy & Rumble on the Virginia radio station, WNOR (FM99). Tommy & Rumble once played the bit for actor James Doohan (who played Scotty) when he was a guest at the station. According to co-host Rick Rumble, halfway through the bit, Doohan demanded that they "turn that thing OFF!" Rumble stated it was a lot like being on the bridge or in the engine room of the USS Enterprise, being yelled at by "Scotty".
[edit] Star Trekkin'
In 1987, a group called "The Firm" released "Star Trekkin'", a comedy single based on the Original Series. The song was #1 for two weeks in the UK singles charts. The video featured 'stop motion' animated versions of the cast of the Original Series.
The song's lyrics are made up of parodies or deliberately funny readings of famous lines from the Original Series. For example, the song's chorus includes the line: "Boldy going forward, 'cause we can't find reverse."
[edit] Voltaire
Voltaire, the Dark Cabaret/Darkwave artist, released an EP called Banned on Vulcan. It was comprised entirely of parodies of various aspects of the Star Trek universe.
[edit] Warp 11
Warp 11 is a rock band that performs humorous songs inspired by Star Trek, with sometimes profane and sexual-related lyrics. They are comprised of four members: "Captain" Karl Miller (lead vocalist and bassist), "Chief Medical Officer" Jeff Hewitt (drummer), "Chief Engineer" Brian Moore (guitarist), and "Chief Science Officer" Kiki Stockhammer (vocalist). The male band members wear torn, short-sleeve versions of the TOS-style Starfleet uniforms.
Warp 11 has released four albums since 2000:
- Suck My Spock (2000)
- Red Alert (2002)
- Boldly Go Down on Me (2005)
- He's Dead, Jim (2007)
[edit] See also
[edit] We Didn't Start The Series
This song, sung to the tune of "We Didn't Start The Fire" by Billy Joel, was used on local television affiliates during the original run of Star Trek: The Next Generation, to promote the series.
- Asteroids,
- Triple Droids,
- Telepathic Betazoids
- Transporter
- Deadly Claw
- Visitor from L.A. Law
- Photons,
- No Kirk,
- Captain who has gone berserk
- Klingon Rites,
- Parasites,
- New Heights,
- Phaser Fights,
- Data's Head,
- Tasha's Dead,
- Riker's Hangin' by a thread
- Celebration,
- Transformation,
- Everyone to battle stations
- We didn't start the series,
- It's the Next Generation
- on your favorite station
- We didn't start the series,
- But when we are gone it will
- still be on and on and on...
- We didn't start the series...
[edit] "Weird Al" Yankovic
"Weird Al", the Prince of Parody, has parodied on Star Trek several times in his songs. Some verified references include:
- "...Suddenly I'm bowling on the Starship Enterprise..."
- Song: "Stuck In A Closet With Vanna White"
- Album: Even Worse
- "...A local radio station had this contest to see who could correctly guess the number of molecules in Leonard Nimoy's butt."
- Song: "Albuquerque"
- Album: Running With Scissors
- "...I'm not even welcome at the Star Trek convention..."
- Song: "Genius In France"
- Album: Poodle Hat
- "Tell Me Why, I Bid On Shatner's Old Toupee..."
- Song: "eBay"
- Album: Poodle Hat
- "...Seen each Star Trek eighty times..."
- Song: "Gee, I'm A Nerd"
- Album: Tour song, never released
- "Your homemade Star Trek uniform / Really ain't impressin' me"
- Song: "You're Pitiful"
- Album: Straight Outta Lynwood
- "I'm fluent in JavaScript as well as Klingon." and "Only question I ever thought was hard was 'Do I like Kirk or do I like Picard?'"
- Song: "White & Nerdy"
- Album: Straight Outta Lynwood
- Additionally, in the music video for this song, the last shot is of Weird Al performing the Vulcan salute.
